CNET First Look

Samsung Convoy 2

Verizon's Convoy 2 updates its rugged, push-to-talk phone, which also has e-mail and music controls right on its face.

2:09 / September 12, 2011

Transcript

Hey, everyone!
This is Jessica Dolcourt for CNET.
I'm taking a first look at today at the Samsung Convoy 2. This is a rugged phone for Verizon and it's really similar to its predecessor, the original Convoy.
But, it does have updated the design and specs.
Like, it now has the standard 3.5 millimeter headset jack to go with these music controls on the front.
But, the real story, of course, is this phone's durability.
So, it meets all the military specifications for things like temperature,
humidity, shock, dust, altitude, and so on.
However, there is no rubberized siding on this model like the rest on the previous model.
Instead, it's all hard plastic.
I'm personally not sure how well that will absorb impact and I have seen ruggedier phones with the Casio G'zOne series, some of Motorola's rugged phones, and Sonim's line as well.
The Convoy 2 also has push-to-talk capabilities like the original Convoy.
It's got a very handy flashlight on the front and it's got this metal lock on the back to protect
the battery but don't worry, it is very easy to unlock with your fingernail or with a coin.
On the inside, it's got a 2.2-inch display and some really large, slightly raised keys that are very easy to type.
This is a comfortable phone to type on.
So, if you're wearing gloves or that sort of thing, then you'll be able to maneuver around pretty easily.
There's Bluetooth.
There's a 3.2-megapixel camera on the front with flash and it also has a camcorder.
There is the microSD card slot that takes up to 32GB
and there's a noise cancellation setting inside.
There's also an e-mail, a couple of social networking tools and a universal search function.
Fans of Verizon's Navigator will find that it's onboard along with VCast Video.
The Convoy 2 costs $79.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and with a new two-year contract.
I do have my reservations about the durability of just the plastic with no rubberized sidings.
But, this is a good looking phone with some extra well-thought out features and if you're not gonna bang it around
too hard, then this could be the phone for you.
I'm Jessica Dolcourt, taking a first look at the Samsung Convoy 2 for Verizon.

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